Bompastor gives Chelsea star Kerr her ‘full support’ | OneFootball

Sonia Bompastor has given Sam Kerr her ‘full support’ as she continues her rehabilitation from injury ahead of Chelsea’s League Cup semi-final clash against West Ham United.

The Australian has been out since January 2024 when she injured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a warm weather training camp during the winter break.

The Chelsea boss has previously stated she expected her taliswoman to be back around February as her reintegration continues.

Bompastor said: “Sam is not practicing with us this week, but she is practicing individually. The most important thing is that everyone in the club is fully supporting her.”

The Blues have fared well without Kerr, currently sitting unbeaten at the top of the Women’s Super League having retained their crown last season.

They now find themselves in the League Cup semi-final against West Ham after losing to Arsenal in the final last campaign.

Bompastor added: “It’s a semi-final so for both teams it’s an important game, both teams will be really motivated as it’s an opportunity to get to the final. I think they are going to play differently to the last time we played them. They were passive then and I expect them to be more proactive in this game.

“The ideal in football is to make sure you win and you have a great performance but sometimes it is not possible. So when the performance is not there you have to find a way to win and that is what we have been doing.

“The group responded well during the reflection we had (after the win against Aston Villa), the players are really invested with the reflections and we all know our ambitions and what we have to do to play better football.

“We want to make sure we go deep in every competition. We don’t focus on the fact that we are unbeaten but we are now entering the period of the season where every game is important.”

Bompastor also revealed that Mia Fishel’s return to action is nearing after being involved in training sessions following her ACL injury but Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore will not be available for Wednesday’s semi-final.